Mansfield 125: Did you know?

Mansfield has benefited from its strategic location south of Arlington between Fort Worth and Dallas, and from its proximity to major highways. FM 157 (Main Street), U.S. 287 and Texas 360 cross the city and their expansion played an important role in the city’s growth. Realizing the importance of connecting these highways through Mansfield, city leaders took the “if you build it they will come” approach. In the late 1990s, a plan was developed to widen Broad Street and then expand the roadway across the entire city. At the time, there was no connection between U.S. 287 and Texas 360. With nothing but farmland and open prairies before them, the city built East Broad Street into a four-lane, divided parkway between the two major highways. Soon after its completion in 2000, the frontage roads of Texas 360 were completed through Mansfield. In 2015, the final phase of East Broad Street was completed between Holland Road and the eastern city limits. This corridor, which now includes the growing hospital district, retail centers and the city’s government complex, has not only provided an important transportation connection for residents but generated millions of dollars in economic development for Mansfield.